


Liebeslieder

by Ffwydriad



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Dancing, F/F, Flirting, minor spoilers for c2e110, p much cute and fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:34:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26574568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ffwydriad/pseuds/Ffwydriad
Summary: "Do you want to dance?" Jester asks. "I know that you’re just standing by the wall, and that seems really boring, and I know I’d want to dance, especially if someone asked me, but I don’t want to pressure you into it or anything.”Astrid extends her hand towards Jester.Jester takes it.
Relationships: Astrid/Jester Lavorre
Comments: 9
Kudos: 80





	Liebeslieder

**Author's Note:**

> title comes from a waltz - Liebeslieder op. 114 by Johann Strauss II. Translates to "lovesongs"

“Caleb told me that you’re good at dancing,” Jester says. “Well, technically he just said that you were better than him, and he was pretty drunk at the time, but since he’s good at dancing that means you’re probably great at dancing too.”

Astrid blinks over at her. She had been expecting this, an encounter with the Mighty Nein, but she’d expected Caleb to come talk to her, not Jester. The tiefling was cheerful and brimming with energy, and she should have stood out against the regal tone of the gala, but Astrid couldn’t find herself minding. 

“I was good enough,” she says. 

“Do you know this dance?” Jester asks, but doesn’t wait for a reply. “Do you want to dance? I know that you’re just standing by the wall, and that seems really boring, and I know I’d want to dance, especially if someone asked me, but I don’t want to pressure you into it or anything.”

It isn’t what she’s here for, but she can’t help but find herself intrigued. Her mind is already filling with explanations and excuses, as she extends her hand towards Jester.

“Hopefully I won’t disappoint,” she says. 

“I’m pretty sure as long as you don’t step on my feet you won’t disappoint,” Jester says, taking it. “I don’t really know this dance, like, at all, though, so do you want to lead? Or-”

“I can lead,” Astrid tells her,pulling her onto the edge of the dancers. “It’s a variation on a standard waltz,” she says, and starts to walk her through the various steps. 

It takes her, a few measures, to pick up on it, but she’s a quick learner, it seems, and by the time they shift deeper into the dance floor, they blend seamlessly in with the rest of the dancers - as much as Jester Lavorre could ever blend seamlessly into anything.

“I really don’t hate you, you know,” Jester adds, softer. “I thought I would. I mean, well, first I thought you’d be like this magic switch where we’d reunite you and Caleb and he’d stop being so sad all the time, but that was before he told us about his past and all, and I thought that you’d probably be, like, the worst, because you- but I don’t hate you. You seem pretty nice.”

She takes a moment to process the quick string of words. “I don’t think you should,” she says. “I’m not a very nice person. Thinking otherwise is-”

“Well, I like you,” Jester declares. “And I think you’re really cool, and good at magic, and you’re pretty, and so is your hair despite what I said earlier, although I think it would be better if it didn’t, like, cover half your face.”

Astrid laughs, a little, at that, and pulls her hand off of Jester’s waist to brush her hair behind her ear, revealing the long scar across the left side of her face. She kept her eyes on Jester’s face, watching the reaction in her eyes as she saw it.  


“See, now I really think that you should show it off, because you look super cool and badass,” she says. “Like, have you seen Beau and Fjord?” She raises a hand to the side of Astrid’s face. 

“I have,” she says. “I usually only hide it for more formal occasions.”

“Because they’d be intimidated by how cool you are?” Jester asks, brushing the hair back into place. 

“Something like that,” Astrid tells her, and Jester grins. 

“Oh! I have something to show you,” she says, and snaps her fingers. Her hair grows shorter, this time, curling up into a cute bob, and she twirls a lock of it around with her finger. “Glamours,” she says, with sparkling bright eyes. 

“You’re a quick learner,” Astrid says. 

“I mean, yeah,” Jester says. “I’m also, like, really powerful. Powerful enough that I could, like, teleport to a different plane that’s been set up where no one would be able to scry on you.”

She stiffens, slightly, at that, suppresses the surge of panic, but the look in the tiefling’s eyes aren’t plotting, they’re sad, in a kind sort of way. 

“It’s a generous offer,” she says, after the moment it takes to find her words. “I appreciate it. But I’m too busy to take a vacation.”

“We don’t want you to get hurt,” Jester says. “I mean, me, and Caleb, and the Mighty Nein, we really like you, and we think you deserve a chance to get out before - before it all comes crashing down, you know?”

“I know,” she says. “I can take care of myself. I’ve been playing this game for far longer than you have.”

“Yeah, but we’re kind of changing all the rules, and just because you know this game doesn’t mean you know the one we’re playing,” Jester tells her. 

“I’m a quick learner,” Astrid tells her. 

The song finishes. 

“You should get back to your friends,” Astrid says, letting her hand fall away from Jester’s waist. 

“Probably,” Jester says. “Don’t get yourself disintegrated or anything, because I’m pretty sure I can bring you back from like anything else, but I’m not  _ that _ powerful. Yet.”

“You’d do that?” Astrid asks, and she doesn’t really try to hide her shock.

“Yeah of course I would, you’re kind of our friend, and Caleb cares about you, and I-” she trails off, looking for the right word. “I like your hair,” she says. 

Jester leans in, then, and presses a quick kiss to her cheek, before pulling away just as quickly, to twirl and dance her way back through the crowd towards where Astrid can just barely see them. 

She stands there for a few moments, as the next song begins, and she forces herself back to where she’d been against the wall, overlooking the entire thing.

She doesn’t know what to make of Jester Lavorre - and she wonders if anyone does, really, after getting to know her for more than a handful of moments. But she’s pretty sure she likes whatever it is she sees.

**Author's Note:**

> ep 110 gave me jester/astrid feels, and since no one else was going to write it, i found myself posessed with both the need and the ability to do so myself. 
> 
> i'm @malaismere on tumblr, where apparently my memes about crackships go viral sometimes. feel free to hit me up + talk about whatever.


End file.
